3. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
-The Rams are still in need of playmakers on offense, so Blackmon makes a lot of sense, especially if Brandon Lloyd does not re-sign after this season.

4. Washington Redskins: Matt Barkley, QB, USC
-The #2 quarterback in this class could go either way between Barkley or Baylorís Robert Griffin, but right now I have Barkley with the slight edge for Washington.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
-The Jaguars would have loved for Blackmon to slide here, but their secondary is in need of some young talent as well, and Claiborne has emerged as the top corner in this class.

6. Carolina Panthers: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
-Carolina finds themselves in a tough spot after missing out on Claiborne, but due to Jeff Otahís injury concerns, the Panthers could invest in a new left tackle, allowing Jordan Gross to flip back to right tackle.

7. Miami Dolphins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
-Griffin won the Heisman Trophy after an exciting 2011 collegiate season. The Dolphins are in need of some excitement on their roster, so Robert would be a perfect fit for Miami.

8. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
-While Cleveland would have preferred a passer, theyíll definitely be excited to see Richardson on the board. He makes a lot of sense to an organization that does not want to pay Peyton Hillis.

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
-This may be a little high for Kirkpatrick, but the Bucs are in need of some new talent in their secondary. A dark horse candidate may be a weapon to help Josh Freeman (Michael Floyd?).

10. Philadelphia Eagles: Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State
-Burfict reminds some of Ray Lewis, and while Iím not completely convinced heís worthy of a top ten selection, he could certainly help the Philadelphia defense.

11. Buffalo Bills: Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama
-Buffaloís defense is dead last in the league in sacks, so they need to bring in someone who can help improve their pass rush. Upshaw has that potential (17 TFL, 8.5 sacks in 2011).

12. Kansas City Chiefs: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
-RT Barry Richardson could be upgraded, so the Chiefs could either allow Reiff to play on the right side, or he could line up at left tackle and allow Branden Albert to move to the right side.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
-The Cardinals would have loved one of the top three offensive tackles, but theyíll be a surprise contender for Floyd. Teaming the Golden Domer up with Fitz could be deadly.

14. Seattle Seahawks: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
-Coples isnít as highly regarded as he once was in this process, but heís a talented player who could help a Seattle team whose only consistent pass rusher is 30-year-old Chris Clemons.

15. San Diego Chargers: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
- After suffering a concussion followed by a grand mal seizure, Kris Dielman is contemplating retirement. DeCastro is the best interior lineman in this class and could boost a line in flux.

16. Dallas Cowboys: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
-The Cowboys have blown too many fourth-quarter leads this season to feel good about their defense. One of their top needs is in the secondary, where Dennard could contribute early.

17. Tennessee Titans: Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina
- Will Witherspoon turns 32 next year and will cost $3.5 million; it might be time to pair a younger player with Akeem Ayers at outside linebacker.

18. Cincinnati Bengals: Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia
-While Andre Smith is starting to emerge as a competent right tackle, the Bengals could still use some help on the inside. Solution: the massive Cordy Glenn of Georgia.

19. Chicago Bears: Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina
-Depending on his offseason, Jeffrey may or may not be available here. But itís clear the Bears need more offensive weapons, so theyíll think long and hard about the Gamecock in the 19-spot.

20. Cincinnati Bengals (f/OAK): Mark Barron, S, Alabama
-When youíre a team starting Reggie Nelson at safety, then you know you have a need at the position. Might be a bit high for Barron, but I think heís a contender in the late first round mix.

21. New York Giants: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
-This strikes me as a perfect fit for a Giants team that has been in need of a capable middle linebacker since the decline of Antonio Pierce.

22. Cleveland Browns (f/ ATL): Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
-Pat Shurmur gained recognition for the work he did with another former Oklahoma quarterback in Sam Bradford, so Cleveland could go to the well for Landry Jones here.

23. New York Jets: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
-Former second-round pick Vladimir Ducasse has been a disappointment for the Jets so far, so it may be time to explore other options at right tackle.

24. Denver Broncos: Devon Still, DT, Penn State
-The Broncos defense has played better than expected this year, but they can take the next step by upgrading along the interior of their defensive line.

25. Detroit Lions: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
-The Lions may be drawing attention to their bad boy nature by taking Jenkins, who had off the field issues at Florida. But their need at cornerback will make him a consideration.

26. New England Patriots (f/ NO): Dontari Poe, DL, Memphis
-Thereís talk that the Patriots may move back to more of a base 3-4 defense in 2012, meaning theyíll need some additional big bodies up front.

27. New England Patriots: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
-Besides Wes Welker and Deion Branch, both of whom are in their 30s, the Patriots donít have a lot of talent to speak of at wide receiver.

28. San Francisco *****: Jerel Worthy, DL, Michigan State
-Ray McDonald and Justin Smith are a fine duo, but Smith is getting a bit long in the tooth and thereís little depth behind them. Worthy could improve his technique behind them initially.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Kelechi Osemele, OL, Iowa State
-Ben Grubbs could be heading for free agency, making Iowa Stateís Osemele an intriguing option. While he may project best inside at guard, he has the versatility to play some tackle as well.

30. Pittsburgh Steelers: Donta' Hightower, LB, Alabama
-Hightower would be an ideal heir to 3-4 ILB James Farrior, who turns 37-years-old in January and would be entering the final year of his contract in 2012.

31. Houston Texans: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
-The Texans have emerged as one of the best teams in the AFC, so theyíd be wise to make some upgrades on offense to protect one of their key players.

32. Green Bay Packers: Brandon Thompson, DL, Clemson
-The Packers are undefeated and donít have many glaring needs, but there is definitely a concern on the defensive line, where former second-round pick Mike Neal canít seem to stay healthy.

Re: Nick's 2012 Pre-Bowl First-Round NFL Mock Draft (v1)

I have been hearing a lot of speculation of teams possibly trying to trade into spots 2/3 to leapfrog some other teams that need a QB. What (if anyting) do you think would be a deal the Rams would consider to move out of their spot but still stay in the top 10? Would a swap of picks plus either a player of need or another 2nd/3rd round pick be enough?

Verry very interesting pick by the Cards not only because they pick a WR in the 1st but they take floyd over Jeffery

I think Floyd's season has edged him over Jeffrey at this point, though what happens in the offseason could change things.

Originally Posted by KCRamFan

I have been hearing a lot of speculation of teams possibly trying to trade into spots 2/3 to leapfrog some other teams that need a QB. What (if anyting) do you think would be a deal the Rams would consider to move out of their spot but still stay in the top 10? Would a swap of picks plus either a player of need or another 2nd/3rd round pick be enough?

Good point. Teams may want to get in front of Washington, who I think is a strong candidate to take a quarterback with the fourth pick and likely the #2 and #3 prospects still on the board. I wouldn't be surprised to see a team like Miami or Cleveland working the phones to move up.

Ideally, dropping back for Cleveland's two first-rounders would be interesting. If you look at the trade value chart, it's actually a pretty even deal points-wise. The question them becomes who do the Rams take at those spots.